The Illustrated Primer

Author: Yaacov Apelbaum

Yaacov Apelbaum Big-O Notation Efficiency

Big O Notation

So if you have been suffering from recursive algorithmic nightmares, or have never fully understood the concept of algorithmic efficiency, (or plan to interview for a position on my team), here is a short and concise primer on the subject.

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Just Say No to Features

To hit the market early and within budget, your feature development strategy must focus on creating the bare essential functionality. So in this vein, you should make it prove itself to be a “worthy survivor”. Your features need to be tough, resilient, and lean. I have come to embrace the U.S Navy SEAL’s “hell week” screening approach before letting any one of them into my development cycle.

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Scaling the Wall

It’s romantic to view the world as a wall, scaled heroically by pure self-esteem. But in complex endeavors you’re certain to fall, without the support of a team.

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The Anti-Virus Virus Part II

One of the hundreds of affiliates install 154,825 copies of the malware in ten days, 2,772 of those copies were eventually purchased by the victims… the affiliate was able to earn the $146,525.25. A projection of this earning rate would land him over 5.5 million dollars year.

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Descend, ye Cedars, Haste ye Pines

Bach and Handel share some interesting history. They were born only 4 weeks apart (Bach 31 March 1685 – Handel 23 February 1685), grew up 60 miles from each other, used the same snake oil salesman eye surgeon (John Taylor), and even passed on the opportunity to marry Buxtehude’s daughter Anna Margreta.

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Crafting Great Software Features Part-2

Your customers are no different than the people who are looking to buy a specific tool for a job. To deliver the right product functionality without getting lost in the technology jungle, you need to develop an understanding of how successful products are developed in other fields.

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Ode to The Code Monkey

What you lack are not more lines of code, rather it’s architecture and a road. To substitute quality with speed, Is the motto of the code monkey creed….

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Ripping Off Google

It seems that if necessity is the mother of invention, then revenue from high internet traffic is the granddaddy of the con. Site sponsored advertising practice has now become so popular that many clever enterprising individuals and larger organizations are running large campaigns for site scams know as MFA (made for AdSense). These scraper sites are siphoning tens of millions of dollars from the likes of Google.

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Designed for Humans

After participating in and leading many painful software design meetings, I have come to the realization that the best way to sell the top design idea is to first share some of the alternative and inferior ones.

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Crafting Great Software Features Part-1

Most failures in software usability can be attributed to poor decisions at the executive level, which are promulgated due to a culture of silence. Developers and designers should be encouraged to think critically about their work and be provided with official channels for expressing their opinions (in a non polemic manner).

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